Edit symbolic link pointing location in 'Properties' dialog

[goetzc]

An option in the file or folder properties, to allow to 'edit' the symbolic link location would be handy. Just like the ln --force option, ln -s -f file link

Screenshot of the implementation in Dolphin:

[aramazano]

was about to open a new issue before I read this one.

I would like to generalize @goetzc's suggestion further: To make it possible to modify a symlink in either properties dialog or right-click dialog or simply DND.

So, rephrasing the issue, there's no way to edit/modify a symlink in pcmanfm-qt. Suppose you have these files in the same directory:

realfile-1.txt
realfile-2.txt
symlink.txt -> realfile-1.txt

Now, try to change the symlink so that from now on it points to realfile-2.txt

If you drag realfile-2.txt onto the symlink, which pops up the copy/move/symlink option box, select symlink option, but just nothing happens.

There is also no option to edit the symlink (to change the destination it points to) in the right-click menu or in the properties dialog.

So I had to resort to terminal window to modify a symlink.

There should be a way (DND would be simpler to use and better IMHO) to modify a symlink within pcmanfm-qt.

[tsujan]

If you drag realfile-2.txt onto the symlink, which pops up the copy/move/symlink option box, select symlink option, but just nothing happens.

A symlink of the dropped file will be created. View DND works with folders as targets, not files.

Personally, I don't like to create/modify symlinks with a file manager but prefer to have full control over them in a terminal. However, editing symlinks with pcmanfm-qt is a valid feature request.

[aramazano]

| A symlink of the dropped file will be created. View DND works with folders as targets, not files.

I use v 0.11.3 and here it behaves as if it would modify the symlink, but it does nothing.

To be more clear, I don't mean to DND a real file into a directory. I mean to drag a real file and drop it onto an already existing symlink file. In this case, the usual copy/move/symlink dialog pops up, I select symlink (so I expect the symlink now points to the real file that I just dropped) but the symlink is still pointing to its original destination. I.e. DND doesn't affect an already existing symlink.

I don't know if this is fixed in later releases.

[tsujan]

@aramazano I understood what you described -- and it's a good idea indeed -- but meant that there's no DND on files (in contrast to folders). When you drop a file onto another and select "Create symlink here", the word "here" means the containing folder. If that doesn't happen in your case, it should be about a bug in that old version of pcmanfm-qt.

[vuongtuha]

I need this feature. Though all other GUI fm dont have it natively.